Nail holder

ABSTRACT

A roofing nail holder for nail coils, including a flat base with rounded sides leading up to an open top so that the nails can be inserted there through, and a belt clip. A notch is cut out from the front wall for ready finger-access and quick reloading of a nail gun. The points of the nails in the coil can be oriented toward the front or back of the holder, depending on the preference of the user. An alternate embodiment of the present invention is a nail strip holder, which generally comprises a parallelogram-shaped receptacle with an open top, and slots cut out of the bottom surface. A nail strip is inserted into the receptacle through the open top and rests within the receptacle at a 30-degree angle. A belt clip is likewise attached to the receptacle. Both embodiments provide easy access to nails while performing construction work, and may be economically manufactured.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application derives priority from provisional patent application No. 60/625,262, filed Nov. 5, 2004.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to nail holders, and in particular to a nail coil holder and nail strip holder for attachment to a belt.

2. Description of the Background

Nails are necessary tools when performing construction work. Regardless of the degrees of nails used, or whether they are rolled in a coil, or hanging vertically from a strip, builders will carry around nails while working so they are accessible when needed. Accessibility of the nails allows the builder to avoid constantly going back and forth to the tool kit, truck, or wherever else the original supply of nails are stored. Oftentimes, builders will carry the nails in their pockets. This however, is not a good solution to having the nails accessible, because not only do the nails cause discomfort while stored in the pocket but they also pose a risk of injury if they poke through the pocket and into the builder's skin. These risks increase especially when working with nail coils or strips which are oftentimes, simply too large and cumbersome to fit into a pocket. Nail coils consist of nails that are wire collated together and wrapped around in a ball/coil. Nail strips consists of nails that are wire collated together, side-by-side in a short strip. Nail coils typically carry many more nails than nail strips and are preferred in rapid-fire applications like running sheathing or remodeling applications where there can be many single nail shots. Nail strip guns are preferred during smaller construction or roofing projects. Of course, certain guns accept only nail coils while others only accept nail strips, depending upon make and model. In either case, fast and ready access to spare nail coils/nail strips is essential for efficient working with a nail gun. It is most common to stuff nail coils and strips into pants pockets, but the protruding nails inevitably bite into the fabric, making removal quite difficult. Thus, there remains a significant need for a nail coil holder and nail strip holder that attaches to a belt, and holsters the nail strip/nail coil, thereby providing easy accessibility to both while performing construction work.

The present inventor is not the first to attempt to improve upon nail holders. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,576 to Ashley discloses a nail and screw pouch and tool holder assembly which includes one or more slidable belt-attached pouch holders with slots through which a belt passes, worn by the user. Each pouch holder, which may be of leather so as to be relatively stiff, has a pouch hanger member formed of a generally horizontal rigid bar or rail with a plurality of depending U-shaped sections, each for supporting and locating a clip from which a pouch or tool holder hangs. Unfortunately the Ashley '576 apparatus and other prior art apparatuses fall short of the optimum configuration for a nail coil and nail strip holder. The Ashley apparatus is stiff, heavy, and expensive to manufacture. Thus, it would be greatly advantageous to provide a nail coil holder that (1) has substantially rounded sides to facilitate holding a nail coil, (2) has a belt slot molded onto the back, (3) possesses a simple, yet scalable, design fabricated of durable, lightweight, flexible materials, and (4) may be economically manufactured and sold to provide for widespread use. Also, it would be greatly advantageous to provide a nail strip holder that (1) is parallelogram-shaped to allow different degrees of nails to be held, (2) has slots cut into the bottom of the holder to allow debris and/or water to drain out of the holder, (3) has a belt clip attached at the back, (4) possesses a simple, yet scalable, design fabricated of durable, lightweight, flexible materials, and (5) may be economically manufactured and sold to provide for widespread use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide nails holders for easy accessibility to nails while working.

Still is another object of the present invention is to provide a nail strip holder that possesses a simple and scalable design.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a nail strip holder that is fabricated of lightweight materials providing an appropriate degree of flexibility, durability, and longevity.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a nail strip holder that may be economically manufactured and sold to provide for widespread use and disposability.

It is an object of the preferred embodiment of present invention to provide a nail coil holder that has substantially rounded sides for holding a coil of nails.

Yet another object of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is to provide a nail coil holder that has a semi-circle cut out from the top of front side of the holder for easier insertion of the coil of nails.

Still another object of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is to provide a nail coil holder with a slot molded onto the back of the holder for passing through a belt loop.

It is an object of an alternate embodiment of the present invention to provide a nail strip holder shaped in the form of a parallelogram to facilitate holding and storing different degrees of nails.

It is yet another object of an alternate embodiment of the present invention to provide a nail strip holder that has slots cut into the bottom of the holder to allow debris and/or water to drain out of the holder.

Yet another object of an alternate embodiment of the present invention is to provide a nail strip holder that has a belt clip for easy attachment to a belt.

These and other objects are accomplished by the present invention, which is a nail holder. The preferred embodiment of the present invention is a roofing nail holder, which has a flat base with substantially rounded sides. The top is open so that the nails can be inserted therethrough. A semi-circle is cut out from the top of the front side of the holder, for easier insertion of the roofing nail coil. The points of the nails in the nail coil can be oriented toward the front or back of the holder, depending on the preference of the user. A slot is molded onto the back of the holder for passing through a belt loop. An alternate embodiment of the present invention is a nail strip holder, which generally comprises a parallelogram-shaped receptacle with an open top, and slots cut out of the bottom surface. The nail strip is inserted into the receptacle through the open top. The nail strip rests within the receptacle at a 30-degree angle. A belt clip is attached to the top edge of one side of the receptacle. The belt clip allows for attachment of the holder to a belt worn by a user. The holders may be integrally molded.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment and certain modifications thereof when taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of the nail coil holder 100 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the nail coil holder 100 as in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a rear end perspective view of the nail coil holder 100 as in FIGS. 1-2.

FIG. 4 is top end perspective view of the nail coil holder 100 as in FIGS. 1-3.

FIG. 5 is a side perspective view of the nail strip holder 200.

FIG. 6 is a back perspective view of the nail strip holder 200 as in FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a top view of the nail strip holder 200 as in FIGS. 1-2.

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the nail strip holder 200 as in FIGS. 1-3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The preferred embodiment of the present invention is a roofing nail coil holder 100. FIGS. 1-4 are rear perspective, top perspective, rear end perspective, and top end perspective views, respectively of the roofing nail holder 100. The holder 100 has a flat base 1 with sides 2 substantially rounded toward the bottom (near base 1). The flat base 1 is especially useful in placing the holder 100 down on a surface to load/unload nails or simply rest as a freestanding holder. The rounded sides 2 open upward and are widest at the middle. The degree of roundedness loosely conforms to the coil/ball of roofing nails. The holder 100 has an open top 11 so the coil/ball of nails can be inserted therethrough. A semi-circle 3 is cut out from the top of front side of the holder 100, for easier insertion of the coil/ball of nails. Because of the rounded sides 2 of the holder 100, the points of the nails in the nail coil can be oriented toward the front or back of the holder 100, depending on the preference of the user. An offset yoke 4 comprising a flat section with inwardly angled ends is molded onto the back of the holder 100 for a belt to pass through the offset yoke 4.

The roofing nail holder 100 as illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 is 4.35 inches wide and 4.00 inches long so it can hold an average-sized coil/ball of nails. The preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4 may be integrally-molded, and in this regard the dimensions are fixed. However, the relative dimensions may be varied to fit coils of any desired length and width. Thus, it is envisioned that different models of the roofing nail holder 100 will be made available for differently-sized coils.

FIGS. 5-8 are, respectively, side perspective, back perspective, top, and bottom views of a nail strip holder 200 of an alternate embodiment of the invention. The holder 200 generally comprises a parallelogram-shaped receptacle 5 with an open top 6, and two slots 7 cut out of the bottom surface 8. A nail strip is inserted into the receptacle 5 through the open top 6. The nail strip rests within the receptacle 5 at a 30-degree angle. A belt clip 9 is attached to the top edge 10 of one side of the receptacle 5. The belt clip 9 allows for attachment of the holder 200 to a belt worn by a user. The belt clip 9 can be composed of a variety of materials, including for example, hard and soft metals, such as aluminum and stainless steel, hard plastics, flexible plastics or combinations thereof, such as a metal clip having a plastic sheath. Two slots 7 are cut out of the bottom 8 of the receptacle 5 to allow water and/or debris to drain out of the receptacle 5, thereby allowing the nails to be free and clear of any material that may invite rust or obstruct construction in any other way. A long-parallelogram shaped receptacle 5 is preferred because different degrees of nails can easily be held in place at an angle, although the receptacle 5 may also take a different quadrilateral shape such as a rectangle.

The nail strip holder 200 as illustrated in FIGS. 5-8 is 2.5 inches thick, 3 inches long, and 0.25 inches wide. The holder 200 may be integrally-molded, and in this regard the dimensions are fixed to hold four nail strips. However, the relative dimensions may be varied to accommodate a different number of nail strips. Thus, it is envisioned that different models of the nail strip holder 200 will be made available to hold a different number of nail strips.

The holders 100, 200 are preferably fabricated from polypropylene, polycarbonate, or other flexible, resilient, commercially available plastic. The holders 100, 200 may be integrally molded. One skilled in the art will understand that any material possessing an appropriate amount of flexibility and resiliency may be used, and other suitable manufacturing methods may be employed such as an injection molding process.

As is evident from the above disclosure, the holders 100, 200 of the present invention possess a simple, yet scalable, design that may be economically manufactured and sold to provide for widespread use. The holders 100, 200 utilize lightweight materials chosen to provide the appropriate degree of flexibility, resiliency, durability, and longevity required by the nature of its usage, and yet its cost is minimal to allow ready disposal.

The holders 100, 200 are very easily accessible while working because they fit through and attach to a belt, respectively and thus they provide a great deal of convenience. The holders 100, 200 are a very convenient storage medium for nails even when they are not attached to the belt.

Having now fully set forth the preferred embodiments and certain modifications of the concept underlying the present invention, various other embodiments as well as certain variations and modifications of the embodiments herein shown and described will obviously occur to those skilled in the art upon becoming familiar with said underlying concept. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically set forth in the appended claims. 

1. A roofing nail coil holder, comprising a five-walled enclosure including an aperture at top, a flat base at bottom, a front wall, a back wall, and opposing convex partially-rounded side walls arching upward to a maximum constant spacing continuing from midway between said top and bottom to said top aperture for seating a roofing nail coil on its side, a belt clip attached to said back wall; and said front wall being defined by a notch to facilitate finger-access to the nail coil.
 2. A nail coil holder according to claim 1 wherein said five-walled enclosure is formed from a single material injection molding process.
 3. A nail coil holder according to claim 2 wherein said single material is a flexible plastic material.
 4. A nail coil holder according to claim 2 wherein said five-walled enclosure is 4.35″ wide and 4″ long.
 5. A nail coil holder according to claim 4 wherein said belt clip is an offset yoke with inwardly angled ends molded to said back wall for passage of a belt there through.
 6. A nail coil holder according to claim 5 wherein said flat base is defined by drainage slots.
 7. A nail strip holder comprising: a receptacle formed as a quadrilateral and including, a flat front side, having a straight top edge and a straight bottom edge; a flat back side, having a straight top edge and a straight bottom edge; a flat right side, having a straight top edge and a straight bottom edge; a flat left side, having a straight top edge and a straight bottom edge; a flat bottom base having four edges joined to the straight bottom edges of said front, back, left and right sides; and a belt clip attached to said flat back side.
 8. A nail strip holder according to claim 7 wherein said flat bottom base is defined by at least one slot to allow debris and water to drain out of said enclosure.
 9. A nail strip holder according to claim 8, wherein said belt clip is plastic integrally molded onto said holder.
 10. A nail strip holder according to claim 8 wherein said belt clip is metal.
 11. A nail strip holder according to claim 7 wherein said quadrilateral is a parallelogram, whereby said parallelogram allows different degrees of nails to be held.
 12. A nail strip holder according to claim 7 wherein said quadrilateral is a rectangle.
 13. A nail strip holder according to claim 7, wherein said receptacle is formed from a single material by an injection molding process.
 14. A nail strip holder according to claim 13 wherein said single material is a flexible plastic material. 